I experienced a communication and relationship-building skills lesson that hit me like a one, two punch in a boxing match— all starting with browsing for a podcast to listen to while I did some gardening. Being Speechworks’ CEO and communications coach, the title of Rough Translation’s “How to Speak Bad English” got my attention – … Read More
It’s that time of year again – the birds are chirping, spring colors brighten the scenery, and it’s graduation time. And, that means that many of us will be treated to that long-standing public speaking tradition – the commencement address. Over the years, we’ve seen and heard A LOT of commencement speeches, and we’ve found … Read More
A highlight of any wedding reception is the toasts to the bride and groom. Of course, the toasts can also be a source of anxiety for the person who has to stand in front of everyone at the reception and speak while raising a glass. The best of these short speeches are touching and often … Read More
You thought becoming the valedictorian of your high school class was tough? That’s nothing compared to giving a great valedictory speech. Spend just a few minutes on YouTube and you’ll see that most valedictory speeches are boring and, worse, embarrassing. But there’s hope! You can give a great valedictory speech. Great valedictory speeches follow a … Read More
I wrote this post before I attended my 13-year-old cousin’s bat mitzvah, the traditional service marking a Jewish child’s passage into adulthood. A highlight of many bat/bar mitzvah services is the short blessing or speech from the parents. The best of these speeches are touching and often a little funny. They have stories that help … Read More
If you suffer from a fear of public speaking, you are not alone. Polls indicate that the fear of public speaking affects 70-75% of the population and is more common than the fear of spiders, confinement or even death. The fear of public speaking is anxiety driven and stems from our fear of being judged–our … Read More
Leo Tolstoy began his masterpiece “Anna Karenina” with the sentence “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Here’s my twist on that famous opening line: “All lousy webinars are alike; each good webinar is good by following a few principles”. Lousy webinars are an unfortunate fact of our … Read More
Watch the recorded webinar “Top Five Mistakes People Make with PowerPoint” “Hi. I’m Abe Lincoln. My first slide lays out a timeline for our nation. As you can see reading from left to right, it really all started four score and seven years ago. . . .” Of course that wouldn’t have done at all. … Read More
Watch the recorded webinar “Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking!” As a public speaking coach, nervous speakers regularly tell me “I think I’m going to pass out” or “I’m feeling sick to my stomach.” And while they never do faint or vomit, I have wondered what would happened if they did. Well I don’t need … Read More
Watch the recorded webinar “How to Have a Tough Conversation at Work” Many of us have to deliver unwanted messages. For example, my dentist recently told me that some of my old fillings were deteriorating and needed to be replaced. “They’ve served you well for many years,” she told me. “But those old fillings don’t … Read More
